India’s Sumathy Sivan Nithya Sre clinched another bronze for the country in the women’s singles SH6 category defeating Rina Marlina of Indonesia 21-14 21-6 in the play-off clash at the 2024 Paris Paralympics on Monday.
Nithya is from Hosur in Tamil Nadu and grew up with cricket as her favourite sport. She was inspired by her brother, a district player, and her father’s passion for the game.
Her interest in badminton stemmed during the 2016, Rio Olympics when she consistently watched the sport on television. Nithya's admiration for renowned player Lin Dan. She started reading news articles about him, which further ignited her desire to pursue the sport of Para-Badminton.
Nithya though physically entered the sports field very late in 2020, thanks to her father’s colleague, who is a state-level Para badminton player.
Her coach and father paved the way for Nithya into the Tamil Nadu Para-badminton state championship, where she participated and showcased her skills.
Following her introduction to Para-Badminton, Nithya seized an opportunity to train under Gaurav Khanna, the head coach of the Indian Para-Badminton Team.
This marked a significant milestone in her journey, prompting her to relocate to Lucknow for professional training under his guidance.
Nithya’s dedication and talent have given her success on the international stage, securing numerous medals and now she finally has found the ultimate prize of them all, a desired Paralympic medal.
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